Easter Treats!

This is a work weekend for me, so that is why we celebrated Easter last week with Jimmy's family (and my parents)! However, I wanted to do some fun Easter projects with the kids~well, at least Riley...fishing with Dad won JD over~and this is what our projects were today....
JELLYBEAN CHICKS AND BUNNIES....to take as hostess gifts when we go to dinner tonight...

Rice Krispie Pizzas (notice my candy dispenser....I made that in 6th grade....jeepers, I think Mr. Shaffer would be proud that it has lasted this long, you just can't find that kind of quality anymore!)...

Another candy dispenser shot....

This was my new egg plate....notice the chick faces!

Rice Krispie Pizza
8 Cups Rice Krispie Cereal
4 Cups Cupcake Pebbles (or fruity pebbles)
1/2 C. Butter
2 (10 oz.) bags mini marshmallows
Marshmallow Bunnies
M&M's
Frosting
DIRECTIONS: Over low-medium heat, melt butter. Add marshmallows and stir until melted. Add in cereals. Stir until evenly coated. Divide mixture between two round pizza pans (or one 16" pan) and pat evenly. Top with favorite frosting and decorate with candies.

Happy Eating and Happy Easter!!

Carrot Cupcakes with White Chocolate Icing...

These little treats were made for our Easter Celebration with Jimmy's parents, last Sunday.

Ingredients:

2 ounces white chocolate (I used about 1/4-1/2 C. White chocolate chips)

1 (8oz) block of cream cheese

1/2 C. Butter

1 tsp. vanilla

4 C. Confectioners Sugar

2 Tbsp. HEAVY cream

Cupcake:

2 Eggs

1 1/8 C. sugar

1/2 C. Brown Sugar

1/2 C. vegetable oil

1 tsp. vanilla

2 C. shredded carrots

1/2 C. crushed pineapple

1 1/2 C. flour

1 1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/4 tsp. ginger

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin pan with cupcake liners. Set aside. Icing - In a small saucepan, melt white chocolate over low heat. Stir until smooth. Allow to cool to room temp. In a bowl beat together cream cheese and butter until smooth. Mix in white chocolate and vanilla. Gradually beat in confectioner's sugar. Mix in heavy cream and beat until fluffy. Cupcake - Beat together eggs, white sugar and brown sugar. Mix in oil and vanilla. Fold in carrots and pineapple. Mix in flour, baking soda and spices. Mix until everything is moist. Transfer to muffin tins. Bake 25 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack before topping with the icing.

Happy Eating!!

Honey Dijon Grilled Chicken Breasts!

Well hellooooo everybody! What a great day outside today~and it was a great evening for baseball games, soccer practices and all the fun stuff in between!! Tonight called for an early dinner since we were running to different events so I found this grilled chicken recipe and WOW is it a keeper!! Everyone cleaned their plates (even the neighbor boy who happened to be here in time for dinner)! It is super easy to throw together and tasty enough for company!!

This is all you need (+ your chicken of course)~

Cover your chicken in the sauce and grill....

On the table and ready to eat~

Honey Dijon Grilled Chicken

4 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts - slightly flattened
1/3 C. Dijon Mustard
1/4 C. Honey (I used orange blossom)
2 tsp. Steak Sauce
2 Tbsp. Mayo
DIRECTIONS: Whisk together the mustard, honey, steak sauce and mayo. Reserve about 1/4-1/2 Cup for basting chicken. Coat chicken in remaining sauce. Place on the grill and grill about 15 minutes per side (or until chicken is cooked, and no longer pink inside). During last 10 minutes of grilling~baste with reserved sauce.

Happy Eating!!

Spicy-Sweet Pork Tenderloin....

This recipe was adapted from Cooking Light....and is easy to prepare and is so tasty!! Here is the finished product!!

Ingredients

1 Tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce

1 tsp. ginger 1 garlic clove, minced

1 tsp. vegetable oil

1 (1 lb) pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut into 12 slices)

1/3 C. bottled salsa (I used Costco's Organic Salsa)

1 Tbsp. seedless respberry preserves

2 Tbsp. fresh cilantro

DIRECTIONS: Combine first 3 ingredients in a bowl. Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet over med-high heat. Flatten each piece of pork to 1/2" thick (using your fingertips). Add pork to pan; spoon soy sauce mix evenly over the pork slices. Cook approx. 3 minutes and flip. Cook additional 3-4 minutes, or until done. Remove from pan. Add salsa and raspberry preserves; cook for 30 seconds or until slightly thick and preserves are "melted". Stirring constantly. Add pork to salsa mixture. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve. Stay tuned for Easter treats..........

Happy Eating!

Bake Sale and Spatini!!!

Okay, my techy problems are not solved but I have figured a way around them for now!! Yea!! Who remembers Spatini?? Am I the only one, Jimmy had never heard of it before, yet alone tasted it! When I was growing up this was what "homemade" spaghetti sauce was made of and for some reason, they pulled off the retail market! After some research the other week, I FOUND it!! I was so excited, I couldn't wait until it arrived! Well, it has arrived and may I remind you, I bought it in commercial size packages.....now, I have enough sauce from one packet to feed an army!! Guess who is freezing sauce?? This is what you need to make spaghetti sauce! Yep, that is the gi-normous can of tomato paste that you buy at Costco or BJ's (and you always wonder what someone would do with that size of tomato paste), the packet of spatini and 2 cans (the tomato paste size) of water! This past week was a busy one with bake sales, bingo night and the Ladies Retreat, Here are a few things that I made for the bake sale at the kids school: Whoopie Pies w/ a Vanilla Fluff Icing~ Chocolate covered pretzels.... Tubs of yummy goodness... Fun tags~ Fresh from the oven... Thanks to everyone who "voted" I will be doing some baking/dessert making this week because we are celebrating Easter this weekend with the family, since I am working Easter weekend...and I am sure with the nice weather, grilling recipes will be coming out this week too!! Happy Eating!!

Technical Difficulties!!

Hi everyone! I just wanted to give you all an update and let you know that I have been having some technical difficulties with downloading photos to the blog......in other words, it just isn't working and I am "techy challenged" and have no idea how to fix it.......please be patient, I will have it back up and running soon!! In the meantime, Happy Eating!!

Greek Pasta Salad!

Okay~kiddos are in bed, hubby's lunch is packed, now-time to watch "The Kennedy's" and do some blogging! Do you ever feel like you make the same thing over and over again? I feel like that some times. I also feel like I blog the same thing...I posted a poll on the blog (it is on the right side), please take a minute to vote, I would love to hear what you would like to see posted here! Now on to the recipe... This recipe was discovered while spending a fantastic weekend at the bay with friends! Jennifer made this salad the one day and it has quickly become one of my favorites! You can add grilled chicken or shrimp for a hearty lunch or dinner salad. There really isn't a recipe per se', but the ingredients are listed here and then you just toss in the amount you would like. You will need these ingredients plus black olives or greek olives....

Pasta (I used rigatoni because I was making that for dinner that night and had some left), (Cooked according to package directions)

Grape Tomatoes

Baby Spinach

Feta Cheese

Gazebo Room Lite Greek Dressing

Happy Eating!